CN107850993A - Methods for Aggregating and Collaborating Search Results - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods of aggregating and collaborating internet searches, searching paths and components, and performing collaborative searches are disclosed. Data from multiple related internet searches may be aggregated and analyzed to identify common content, paths, and search criteria to determine intent. Subsequent searches by the same person or others on similar search groupings can be directed to the results output from the initial search. The output from the search may be displayed in a dynamic results page, a word cloud, or other two-dimensional or three-dimensional format where the user may change the weight of certain search results or link words in the results page. Collaborative searches may be performed in which one person may simultaneously see searches performed by other people. Thus, the present invention advantageously displays particularly appropriate and relevant search results in much less time than would be spent performing individual searches.

Description

Methods for Aggregating and Collaborating Search Results

Cross References to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/174,441, filed June 11, 2015. The text and contents of this Provisional Patent Application are hereby incorporated by reference into this application as if fully set forth herein.

technical field

The present invention relates generally to the field of Internet searching. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of aggregating and collaboratively searching to determine a searcher's intent to obtain relevant search results in a less time-consuming manner.

Background technique

The origins of predictive Internet searches can be traced back to 2004, when Launched GoogleSuggest ^™ , which was later renamed Google Instant ^™ . This type of predictive search produces search results almost instantly as the user types. These predictive searches use predictive search algorithms to predict the user's search query as it is typed, thereby saving users a lot of time by not having to type their entire search query.

However, currently, there is no known search method or algorithm that aggregates multiple searches performed by a user in order to determine the user's intent when performing multiple searches. By determining a person's intent when performing multiple searches, search results can be displayed to subsequent users with the same or similar intent, significantly increasing speed and reducing the time spent performing such subsequent searches.

Also, likewise, there is currently no way to perform collaborative searches (where one person can see both what the other is searching for and how they search to get specific results) to significantly reduce the time to perform such searches and increase the accuracy and relevance of search results known methods or algorithms.

Additionally, search results are currently displayed in a linear fashion, which requires the user to view the results of separate searches separately. There are no known displays of search results that aggregate the results of multiple searches and allow the user to quickly and easily change the importance and/or weight of the aggregated displays.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide methods of performing collaborative Internet searches and/or aggregating search results in order to reduce search time and provide relevant results displayed in a dynamic manner whereby searchers can change the weighting of results.

Contents of the invention

The present invention advantageously provides methods of aggregating and coordinating Internet searches, search paths and/or components and/or performing coordinated searches in order to minimize the time to perform future searches and maximize the accuracy and/or relevance of search results.

In an embodiment of the invention, data from multiple related Internet searches conducted by a person is aggregated and analyzed to identify common content, paths and search criteria, etc., to determine the person's intent. Subsequent searches by the same person and/or others of the same or similar grouping of related Internet searches are then directed to the results output from the initial search, thereby displaying them in significantly less time than it would take to perform a single individual search Particularly appropriate and/or relevant results. In some embodiments, search criteria may be compared to recent news events and/or coordinated with other parallel and/or recent searches to aggregate and prioritize data and results to increase the relevance of displayed data.

In other embodiments of the invention, output results may be displayed in a dynamic results page (eg, in a word cloud or other format), which in some aspects may be user-controlled, wherein the user may change the weight of certain search results and/or select and/or alternate between different types of displays. In some examples, the user/searcher can connect and/or link words in the dynamic results page to create new search terms and/or results by touching a touchpad or by clicking with a mouse.

In another aspect, predictions or final results can be displayed in a word cloud or other two-dimensional or three-dimensional format. Using a word cloud as an example, results can be separated in cloud regions based on differences in the general direction of the search. For example, a search may be typed starting with the first four letters "pres" (see eg, 601 of FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 6 , the prediction results may include presidential polls, press democra, presidents of the united states, pressurewashers, president Obama, and Prescott az 602 . Rather than displaying the results in the conventional manner as illustrated in FIG. 5 , the results may be displayed in the manner depicted in FIG. 6 .

In yet a further aspect, collaborative searching can be performed, where one person can simultaneously see what the other is searching, the term being searched for, and the way the other is searching for a particular result. The results of such collaborative searches may be displayed in one or more dynamic results pages, and the user may also change the weight given to certain search results and/or select and/or alternate between different displays of collaborative results.

In some aspects, additional content and/or results of concurrent and/or subsequent user searches may be added to the dynamic search page results to account for information and/or data that the initial or concurrent user may have missed. In some examples, multiple word clouds can be grouped together in one dynamic display. The user/searcher may select one or more clouds from the set of clouds, and such selected clouds will each be displayed on its own dynamic results page.

A more complete understanding of the method of aggregating and coordinating search results, as well as an appreciation of additional advantages and objectives thereof, will be provided to those skilled in the art by consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, which will first be briefly described.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is shown by The search term "school makes me" yields a list of suggested predicted search terms.

2 is a graphical representation of a word cloud showing the suggested predictive search terms of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention.

3 is a graphical representation of initial search results contained in the word cloud of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is a graphical representation of a dynamic results page in word cloud format according to an embodiment of the invention.

5 is a computing device with a graphical representation of a display of predictive search results.

Figure 6 shows that after typing the four letters "pres" A list of suggested predicted search terms resulting from a search query.

7 is a computing device with a displayed graphical representation of predicted search results for the search term "presidents of the united states," according to an embodiment of the invention.

8 is a computing device with a displayed graphical representation of predicted search results for the search term "president regan," according to an embodiment of the invention.

9 is a graphical representation of predicted results for the search term "school" displayed in a cluster of word clouds, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 10 is a graphical representation of the prediction results of Figure 9 zoomed out by selecting clusters containing the words "high, middle, pre, elementary".

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. These conventions are intended to make this document easier to understand by those who are practicing or improving the invention, and it should be understood that the level of detail provided should not be construed as an indication as to whether such examples, methods, procedures, or components are known, novel, or otherwise known in the art. Obvious instructions.

Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide for aggregating searches, search paths, and/or search components, coordinating searches with current events and/or news events, displaying search results in a dynamic format, and performing collaborative searches to reduce the time it takes to provide search results A method that minimizes and maximizes the accuracy and relevance of the results.

In an embodiment, the invention aggregates data from multiple related Internet searches conducted by a person, analyzes the data to identify common content, threads, paths, search criteria, etc., in order to determine the person's intent. For example, if a person searches for (1) the San Francisco Half Marathon, (2) hotels in San Francisco, (3) restaurants in San Francisco, (4) flights to San Francisco, and (5) taxi companies in San Francisco, then the present invention's An embodiment may determine the intent of a person's search to be that he or she is planning to run a half marathon in San Francisco and needs to travel to San Francisco and use certain services in San Francisco. Subsequent user/person searches of the same or similar related Internet search groupings can then be directed to the results output from the initial person search, thereby displaying particularly appropriate and/or related results.

Gather data about the history of how people conduct group searches (e.g., search terms, search paths, trees, search results, clicks on links within search results, etc.) to help determine intent and expedite future searches by the same or others search. In some embodiments, the history may be traced containing study paths where the search input equals the search output. In other embodiments, the history may contain research paths where search inputs exceed search outputs.

In some embodiments, searches may be grouped and/or aggregated up to the time period in which the search was performed. For example, if a person searches for all (1) San Francisco Half Marathon, (2) hotels in San Francisco, (3) restaurants in San Francisco, (4) travel to San Francisco within time period X (e.g., a time period of 2 hours) and (5) taxi companies in San Francisco, the searches can be aggregated and/or grouped and the intent of the person determined by the aggregated searches. In other aspects, searches may be aggregated and/or grouped based on one or more time periods included in the searches. For example, if the San Francisco Half Marathon took place on July 26, 2015, and the same person searches for flights for flights spanning the time period that includes July 26, 2015, and also searches for hotels in San Francisco like spanning the time period including July 26, 2015, these searches can be aggregated and used to determine the intent of a person's search.

In other aspects, searches can be aggregated by category and/or content of the search. For example, searches related to a particular place may be aggregated regardless of whether the searches span time period X or whether the searches include a common time period within the searches.

In some embodiments, search criteria may be compared to recent news events and/or coordinated with other parallel and/or recent searches to aggregate and prioritize data and results to increase the relevance of displayed data. For example, if news is announced that a popular artist will appear at a certain date, at a certain location, and one conducts a search that includes said certain date and/or said certain location, searches related to the artist's appearance may be displayed Results (eg, airfare, flight cost, nearby hotels, etc.). Similarly, if a large regional company announces that it will hire several employees in a specific location for certain positions and/or with specific work experience, and a one-person searcher is targeting job opportunities for the same or similar positions, work experience, and/or locations , then contact and query information about jobs at companies in that area may be displayed.

When a subsequent user performs a predetermined threshold number N of the same or related searches, previously aggregated and/or grouped search results may be displayed to the subsequent user. The search results can then be used by anyone searching the N components of the search path in the future. When the same or related search is identified by a subsequent user, the order in which the initial search was performed can be compared to the order in which the subsequent user's search was performed, but the order generally does not determine whether the subsequent user searched for the same and/or related search grouping.

The output results of the aggregated search can be displayed on a dynamic results page. Such dynamic results pages may present data in word clouds and/or other representations (eg, flowcharts, pictograms, stem and leaf diagrams, etc.). In some aspects, the user can control the format of the data displayed on the dynamic results page, and can select and/or alternate between different types of displays.

In data embodiments where dynamic results pages are displayed in word cloud format, some results may be displayed in larger and/or different colored fonts based on the emphasis and/or weight of the results. In some aspects, a predictive algorithm can be used to generate the word cloud. In other aspects, word clouds may be generated by speech-to-text conversion of search terms and/or aggregating friends' posts on social networking sites.

Word clouds can be displayed whether in conjunction with predictive search, display of search results, or other search implementations. Such a word cloud may contain the user's search terms, search terms used in conjunction with similar searches, words similar to the search terms, and/or words from one or more predicted or expected search results. In one aspect, these words can be grouped with other similar terms, or grouped according to themes associated with the results.

In one aspect, the word cloud accurately or roughly reflects the search terms that the system used to drive the search. For example, if a user types "school makes me" into , then the suggested predicted search terms displayed may be as shown in FIG. 1 .

Each of these items can be presented as part of a word cloud. The user can then utilize touch or other input techniques to resize and/or rearrange items within the cloud. For example, Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the manner in which clouds may appear.

If the initial search results were contained in the cloud, the cloud could look similar to FIG. 3 .

If the user wants to add weight to the item but does not want results related to "depressed", "suicidal", or "die", the user can shrink the latter three items so that It gets smaller or disappears, and the term "school" is stretched to make the word more important. As word cloud components change in size, their relative weights in generating search results also change.

In one aspect, shrinking or scaling up a term also changes the weight given to synonymous terms. Such changes may also be reflected in changes in the appearance of the word cloud. It is also possible to increase or decrease the weight given to certain terms by moving elements of the word cloud closer or further away from points on the display device.

In another aspect, there may be a trigger event that causes a new search to be performed to gather new words for the word cloud. Such a triggering event could be a change in size of one of the words in the cloud, the passage of time, the passage of time since a change in the size of one of the words in the word cloud, via a "refresh" or similar button, a shaking device or Input is otherwise provided to the device indicating that the search that generated the word cloud should be refreshed.

In one aspect, the number of items within the cloud may be limited. Such limits may be set programmatically, algorithmically, and/or manually.

Separate clouds, each representing a different focal point, may also be utilized. For example, a search for "race" could yield separate groupings of results that include "race" as synonymous with "racial," "race" as synonymous with "racal," or "rushing" as )" synonymous with those references to "race". Multiple word clouds can be presented, each word cloud being generated based on a different meaning of the search term. Where, as in the case of "racial" and "rushing," more than one synonym may be associated with the result, and the user may narrow down or close unrelated word clouds (e.g., those associated with "racial") cloud) and/or the weight given to other word clouds can be adjusted (eg, by shrinking the "rushing" cloud and making the "racial" cloud bigger).

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a dynamic results page in word cloud format. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, certain results are displayed at a larger font size to emphasize and/or give more weight to the results. For example, the word "users" has the heaviest weight, as shown by its larger size, than any other result displayed. Similarly, "design", "user", and "application" have large weights because most of the other words in the display are smaller in size. Words such as "files", "set", "see", "mobile", etc. are given very little weight, as indicated by their relative sizes.

Also, use line thickness and/or color to emphasize certain results. Although not shown in FIG. 4 , for example, bright red or dark black words may be weighted more than pink and/or green words. Additionally, the opacity of words may also indicate a heavier or lighter weight for certain words, where less transparent words indicate a heavier weight.

In another aspect, the predicted search results and/or weights of the search results may be presented on a display device capable of measuring movement in space, or operably connected to a second device capable of measuring movement in space. See Figure 5, showing 501 (but it should be understood that this 501 is an exemplary device, and the invention may be implemented on other devices). The iPad is able to detect movement in space. Such detection can be implemented in various ways on iPads, laptops, mobile phones, smart watches or other devices including but not limited to gyroscopes, MEMS gyroscopes, accelerometers, cameras combined with image analysis, radar or sonar.

A user may type a search term or part of a search term 502 in a search bar. After typing sufficient terms to create a meaningful set of predictive search results, the results can be displayed in various locations, some or all of which are associated with directions. For example, where the term "pres" is used, the terms Presidential Polls 503, Press Democrat 504, Presidents of the United States 505, Pressure Washers 506, President Obama 507, and Prescott Az 508 may be displayed. These items may optionally be displayed in association with a directional arrow showing the direction the device should be tilted in order to select the item.

It should be understood that search terms may be entered via a keyboard, a virtual keyboard, spoken text, or another input mechanism. In one aspect, spoken search queries may begin to generate predicted results while the user is speaking or after the user has finished speaking. A verbal interface may be particularly desirable in conjunction with the predictive search disclosed herein and the present invention for narrowing down or clarifying search terms because it provides additional confidentiality in public when compared to speaking all search terms. Additionally, voice-to-text may be a preferred mechanism for initiating input, in conjunction with augmented and virtual reality.

The user then determines whether any of the predicted search terms match her intent. If no predicted search term matches her intent, then additional input should be provided. If one or more predicted search terms match her intent, the user tilts the device in the direction of that term. For example, if the user wanted to search for President Reagan, the user would see Presidents of the United States 505 and tilt the device to the upper right. In alternative embodiments, the user may simply touch the item, move a secondary device (e.g., a mouse or trackpad) in that direction, look in that direction in conjunction with a gaze viewing device, in an immersive reality or other headset's case tilting her head in that direction, using a language selection, or otherwise indicating a preference for continued searching for that item.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the predicted results for a search for "Presidents of the United States" 702 are shown. Items may contain "the band Presidents of the United States" 703, "List of Presidents of the United States" 704, "President Bush" 705, "President Lincoln Lincoln)” 706, “President Obama” 707 and “President Reagan” 708. A user needing to search for "President Reagan" would tilt the device to the bottom right or utilize an alternate embodiment for selection, as described above.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the predicted results for a search for "President Bush" 802 are shown. Certain results may link directly to a final destination page, such as the Wikipedia page of President Reagan 803 or the offices of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library 806 . Other results may refer to additional searches, such as "President Reagan Quotes" 804, "President Reagan Supreme Court" 805, "President Reagan Tear Down This Wall "808 or "President Reagan Family"807. In one aspect, some or all of the suggested items or links may be displayed along with information related to the items or links. For example, item 808 "President Reagan Tear Down This Wall (President Reagan Tear Down This Wall)" may be followed or otherwise accompanied by "'Tear Down This Wall' is from President Reagan Tear Down This Wall on December 6, 87 in West Berlin Conducted and directed to Gorbachev's speech (“Tear down this wall'is a quote from a speech made by President Reagan in West Berlin on 6/12/87, and directed to Mikhail Gorbachev)”.

In one aspect, the final search or selection of a link can be accomplished by holding the device in the direction of the desired link for a period of time. For example, a user wishing to link to Wikipedia 803 can hold the device to the upper left for two seconds to select the link. The user can also or instead touch an item to select it. In one aspect, a short slope may indicate one of selection of an item or continued search using the item as a basis for the search, while a long slope may indicate the other of selection of an item or continued search using the item as the basis for the search. The timing mechanism may be implemented in conjunction with alternative embodiments for selection, as described above. Movement force can also be used instead of duration. For example, a strong movement to the lower left may select "Ronald Reagan Presidential Library" 806, while a weaker movement to the lower left may indicate a continued search using the term.

In another aspect, a capacitive touch screen may be utilized such that a user may provide input by simply touching the screen or by multi-touch gestures of the screen using one or more fingers or configured to A stylus for use with capacitive screens. For example, a user may indicate a preference for certain search results or request a deeper search by pushing a finger on the screen in the direction of a preferred result, thus providing directional user input to select a search result or request further inquiry. In some examples, the force applied by a finger or stylus can cause the selected search results and or transmitted search query to change.

The use of a single term for each direction in Figures 5, 7 and 8 is for illustrative purposes of one embodiment. Another embodiment would use one or more words or items in a "cloud" format, such as those depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 . Taking Figure 2 as an example, everything in Figure 2 can be displayed in the upper right corner of the search layout similar to Figure 8 . If the user selects the upper right corner, the item can then expand

Referring now to FIG. 9, the prediction results can be displayed in clusters or groupings of words in a word cloud. For example, the search term "school" 902 may yield six different word groupings (903, 904, 905, 906, 907, 908), one of which lists "high, medium ( middle), pre (pre), elementary (elementary)" 904. Items in the group are broken out if the user selects the group, eg, by clicking, tilting at the group, or otherwise. Referring now to FIG. 10, the search for school 1002 has now been narrowed down by the earlier selection of group 904, the components of which are now shown individually as high school 1003, middle school 1004, Kindergarten (preschool) 1005 and elementary school (elementary school) 1006. It should be noted that additional clouds may be generated, for example, by having 1004 be "middle school, junior high school, middle school requirements, local middle schools". In this case, additional narrowing can be achieved by selecting the grouping.

In each embodiment, it should be understood that optional functionality can be added by allowing some or all of the search terms presented in the cloud to be directly clickable or selectable. For example, by clicking on the item "stressed" in 905, the user may then search directly for "school stressed".

In some examples, after displaying search results, the user/searcher can adjust the size and/or weighting of words within the word cloud by touching the touchpad in order to display the results in a manner more appropriate for subsequent users. For example, the San Francisco Half Marathon search mentioned above can be used to identify the subsequent user's intent as the same or similar to the original user's intent (e.g., run a half marathon in San Francisco, travel to San Francisco and visit some of the San Francisco user's intents). Serve). However, subsequent users may have friends who live in San Francisco and plan to spend time with them. Therefore, subsequent users may want to decrease the weight of hotels on the dynamic search page while increasing the weight of bars or restaurants.

In some examples, the user/searcher can connect and/or link words in the word cloud to create new search terms and/or results by touching on a touchpad or by mouse. For example, if a search cloud contains the words "hotels" and "ocean views," a user may concatenate and/or link hotels and ocean views to create results that contain the promotion or include hotels with ocean views. The user may then concatenate and/or link the results for hotels and ocean views with pricing in order to create a dynamic word cloud containing pricing for hotels with ocean views in San Francisco.

In one embodiment, an apparatus may include: a user interface on a display device that allows a user to type in some or all of a search query; a network interface configured to transmit the search query to a server, and wherein The web interface receives predictive data from a server in response to a search query. The user interface may then display some or all of the predicted data received from the server such that at least two elements of the search data are displayed in locations on the display device associated with the directions. The user may then provide a directional input through the user interface, and the device may correlate the directional user input with one of the at least two elements of the search, thereby transmitting the directionally related elements of the search to the server and receiving new information on the display device. search results.

User input, including directional input, can be achieved through the use of various devices such as iPads, laptops, mobile phones, smart watches, immersive reality or other wearable displays or headsets, etc., and can be controlled by the user through a touch screen, tilt Or otherwise move the display of the device to provide directional input, including tilting the head or the user's gaze direction (eg, when using an immersive reality headset), moving a watch, etc.

In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus may include: a user interface on a display device configured to allow a user to type in part or all of a search query; a network interface configured to convert the A search query is transmitted to the server and search data is received from the server in response to the search query, wherein the user interface further displays some or all of the search data received from the server as a word cloud, and the user interface receives one or more words from the word cloud. The plurality of elements increases or decreases the weight of the user input; and wherein the network interface transmits the user input to the server, receives search results based on the transmitted user input, and the display device displays the search results.

In another embodiment of the invention, the apparatus may include: a user interface on a display device that allows a user to type in part or all of a search query; a network interface that transmits the search query to a server and responds At least two potential refinements to the search query are received from the server in response to the search query, and the user interface displays the at least two potential refinements, and wherein the user interface, for example, moves the display device (e.g., by tilting, moving sideways, or vertically) mobile) to receive user input selecting one or more of two potential refinements and transmit the selected refinements to the server. In some aspects, the mobile display device includes one or more body parts (eg, wrist, arm, or head) to which the mobile display device is attached.

In yet a further aspect of the invention, collaborative searching can be performed, where one person can simultaneously see what the other is searching, the term being searched for, and the way the other is searching for a particular result. For example, if the first person is searching for antique rocking chairs available in Los Angeles, CA and searches for "antique furniture Los Angeles CA" and the second person is also searching for antique rocking chairs in Los Angeles but uses a different Search paths (e.g., a second user searches for "antique consignment stores Los Angeles," then relevant results for the second user's search can be displayed in the first user's search results. Such collaborative search results can be displayed in In one or more dynamic results pages, and in some aspects, the user may also change the weight given to certain search results and/or select and/or alternate between different displays of collaborative results.

In some aspects, additional content and/or results of concurrent and/or subsequent users' searches may be added to the dynamic search page results to account for information and/or data that the initial or concurrent users may have missed. For example, the current weather and/or forecasted weather in San Francisco on the date of the half marathon may be added. In another example, a luggage list and/or list of items that should not be forgotten (e.g., race entry confirmations, running shoes, sunglasses, etc.) can be generated

In some examples, multiple word clouds can be grouped together on one dynamic display. In such cases, the user/searcher can resize the cloud to change the weight of the entire cloud relative to other clouds within the grouping. The user/searcher can also select one or more clouds from the set of clouds, for example by touching on a touch screen or by mouse. Such selected clouds are each displayed on their own dynamic results page.

In some aspects, the dynamic search page may display the names of people who conducted similar searches (with appropriate permissions), or may display the names of social media friends who also performed similar searches. In some aspects, search results can be automatically posted to friends on social media. In some aspects, dynamic social media groups can be formed for people searching the same or similar aggregated searches, and in some aspects, people can join dynamic social media groups by opting in, and/or can do the same among people. and/or similar set of searches (e.g. when N similar searches are performed) are automatically joined.

In some embodiments of the invention, after the searcher's intent is determined, the searcher may be offered only a single offer that may be accepted within a Y period of time (e.g., 120 seconds), and the searcher may be offered in the presence of excess and/or or to purchase goods and/or services at a discount (e.g., hotel rooms, flights, event entries, etc.) if the seller or merchant offering such goods or services agrees to offer the discount. In some embodiments, the and/or other "daily group buying" recommendation services and/or online retailers, job sites, etc. offer such discounts to searchers.

In some embodiments, the dynamic search page and/or data collected from previous searches may be used to generate and/or power advertising content within the dynamic search page (eg, in conjunction with Google and/or other adware and/or algorithms).

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

For example, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the disclosure herein can be implemented or performed with the following components designed to perform the functions described herein: a general purpose processor, digital signal processing (DSP), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor; but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the disclosure herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). An ASIC may reside in a system element. In the alternative, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components or other system elements.

In one or more exemplary designs, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any non-transitory medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage, or may be used to carry or store Any other medium having the desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer, or general purpose or special purpose processor. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes, but is not limited to, compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), magnetic hard drive, and blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, and discs The data is optically reproduced with a laser. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

The processes performed by the system nodes described herein, or portions thereof, can be interpreted as machine-readable instructions for execution by one or more programmable computers and recorded on computer-readable media. The described systems and processes merely illustrate various embodiments of enhanced features. The present technology is not limited by these examples.

in conclusion

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously provide methods of aggregating searches, search paths, trees, and/or search components and displaying search results in a dynamic format that can be altered and/or controlled by the searcher. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention provide methods for coordinating searches with current events and/or news events and performing collaborative searches in order to minimize the time it takes to provide search results and maximize the accuracy and relevance of the results.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. These descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention with various embodiments and modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . It is intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the components and elements described herein and their equivalents.

Claims (20)

1. A device comprising: a user interface on the display device configured to allow a user to type in part or all of the search query; a network interface configured to transmit the search query to a server and receive predictive data from the server in response to the search query; wherein the user interface further displays some or all of the predicted data received from the server such that at least two elements of the search data are displayed by the display device in a location associated with a direction; Where the user interface detects a directional user input, and the device correlates the directional user input with one of the at least two elements of the search, all elements of the search associated with the direction transmitting said elements to said server and receiving new search results based on said transmitted elements of said predictive search; and Wherein the user interface displays the new search result on the display device. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the directional user input is a tilt of the display device. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tilt is measured at least in part by a gyroscope. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tilt is measured at least in part by an accelerometer. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the search query transmitted to the server differs based on how long the directional user input is maintained. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the directional user input is a movement of a finger across the touch screen. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the search query transmitted to the server varies based on the force applied by the finger. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display device is located on the user's head or face. 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the directional user input is a tilt of a user's head. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the directional user input is a gaze direction of the user. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the directional user input is movement of a watch. 12. An apparatus comprising: a user interface on the display device configured to allow a user to type in part or all of the search query; a network interface configured to transmit the search query to a server and receive search data from the server in response to the search query; wherein the user interface further displays some or all of the search data received from the server as a word cloud, and the user interface receives a weight increase or decrease from one or more elements of the word cloud user input for ; and wherein the network interface transmits the user input to the server, receives search results based on the transmitted user input, and the display device displays the search results. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the user input to increase or decrease weight comprises a pinch or stretch motion associated with at least a portion of the word cloud. 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user input to increase or decrease a weight comprises moving elements of the word cloud closer to or farther from a point on the display device. 15. The device of claim 12, wherein the search results are predictive searches, and the word cloud is arranged at least in part according to topics associated with the predictive search results. 16. An apparatus comprising: a user interface on the display device configured to allow a user to type in part or all of the search query; a network interface configured to transmit the search query to a server and receive at least two potential refinements of the search query from the server in response to the search query; wherein the user interface further displays the at least two potential refinements and receives user input selecting one of the at least two potential refinements; wherein the user input is moving the display device; and wherein the network interface transmits the selected refinement to the server. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the moving the display device comprises tilting. 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the moving the display device comprises a lateral movement. 19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the moving the display device comprises vertical movement. 20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the moving the display device comprises moving a body part to which the display device is attached.